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Messages - MrDavo

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1
Out & About / Re: OUT AND ABOUT 2023
« on: February 20, 2023, 10:59:03 AM »
I’ve been hiding from the salt for the last few weeks, however it rained on Saturday and dried up again on Sunday. We too are decorating, and realised yesterday that we needed fine sanding paper, we only had the chunky stuff.

The trading estate where B&Q is can be a nightmare to get in and out of at the weekend, so it would be daft not to go on a bike. The Harley was nearest the garage door, I wheeled it out and saw the hanging wire from the unfinished indicator repair I’d forgotten all about. Next up was the CL450, despite not being on a trickle charger all winter, there is no drain from an alarm or anything so hi tech, and with a bit of coaxing it burst into life!

My first ride of 2023, it put a smile on my face as I nipped through the Sunday traffic.  :)

2
CB500/550 / Re: What is this hole in lower yoke for?
« on: December 28, 2022, 11:39:53 AM »
My old CB750 K0 tried to chuck me off on the M6, at around 110mph. The combination of being sat up at speed, making the front light, plus a load of luggage on the carrier, which made it a bit wobbly at any speed, caused a huge lock to lock tank slapper, suddenly I was in two lanes at once!

I knew not to shut off or brake suddenly, that could have sent me over the bars, my only other option was to nail the throttle which stopped the wobble, then I gingerly backed off to a more legal speed.

My Z1 has a damper, I’ve not needed it yet, but I’ve only been over the ton once on it.

3
The Black Bomber Board / Re: CL450 at next Mathewsons Auction
« on: December 06, 2022, 11:56:32 AM »
That looks very sweet for the money, you can pay that for a barn find, especially one that runs.

The exhaust condition is super important, you’ll never find a new one (unless you are James H). It also has the hard to get bits that had mostly disappeared from my bike such as the correct  horn and tank badges, plus an original seat cover, although the foam is tired as they usually are. The front mudguard is a little battered, you might not find another but it could be put right if it bothered you enough.

I hope someone bought it to use, however it wouldn’t be surprising if it turned up again for sale, cleaned and marked up in price.

Edit: I just noticed it has the (optional I think) bash plate under the sump, mine hasn’t and I’ve never found one, despite it being on my eBay saved search list.

4
Member 4 Sales / Re: Kawasaki Z1-A For Sale
« on: August 10, 2022, 04:22:05 PM »
Bump, Z1A is still here, but I've found a van now, off to see it on Saturday.

5
Out & About / Re: Out and about 2022
« on: July 14, 2022, 05:13:34 PM »
Out on the CL450, this is Quickedge Road above Mossley, thought (on the first edition OS map) to be a Roman road, there's another one running along the other side of the Tame Valley, where you see the boundary between the moorland and the cultivated fields. 

The CL450 isn't really the 'Scrambler' it was marketed as in the States (too heavy), but it gives me the confidence to explore unpaved roads that I wouldn't take my other bikes anywhere near. It's all fine and dandy on this part, but later I encountered a steep down hill section where storms had washed away big chunks of the track.


6
Misc / Open / Rotten fuel pipe
« on: July 14, 2022, 04:53:34 PM »
Do yourself a favour, go and check your fuel pipes are holding up OK without cracking, lest your bike stops or combusts.

It's only a couple of years since I got my CL450 barn find project back on the road, so I was shocked to find out how badly one of the (then) new fuel pipes had rotted and cracked when it failed yesterday. Despite having only a fleeting sense of smell since I had Covid last year, I suddenly smelled petrol, and looked down to see this:



I limped home on 1.5 cylinders (luckily I wasn't far away) and replaced the pipes to both carbs as I had some left over from doing the Z1A.

As with any barn find, the original fuel pipes had turned to stone, but were useful as patterns to cut new pipes to the right length. I had used new (allegedly) nitrile fuel pipe bought from eBay, if my purchase records go back that far I'll find the details. The bike hasn't been left in the sun for any significant time, and I assume that if the ethanol in modern petrol is doing damage it would be from the inside, and that wouldn't explain the cracking on the outside that you can see in the photo.

7
Quote
Did Mr Davo bring his bling Z down?

Oh yes, just in time to be at the end of the line....



It's now up for sale, A member of the Z!OC came to have a look at it but wants a brown one really.



The last tram in Sheffield did my head in slightly, it ran in October 1960 - I remember going on one when Mum and I visited her mum in Sheffield, which makes me 4 or less at the time! My lasting memory is the wheel for the handbrake on the platform as you got on, which this also had, at the time I thought it was a steering wheel! We enjoyed the reversing of the seats at the end of the line.

We stayed for the 4pm flyover of the Lancaster, City of Lincoln, which was very low. Unfortunately I am too stupid to host a video without knowing my Youtube password any more.

8
Out & About / Out in the Outer Hebrides.
« on: June 27, 2022, 06:17:21 PM »
Somewhere on my bucket list for years, we took the Sportster, which I just keep as a holiday bike these days, to the outer Hebrides, because, why not? I'm not getting any younger so I have to do it while I can. We rode up to Oban, then its a 4 hour ferry to Barra, the most southerly island. We then worked our way up to the most Northerly island, Lewis & Harris, and came back to Ullapool from Stowaway.

Stunningly beautiful, and pretty deserted even in season, the weather alternated between gorgeous and dire, which the locals tell me is par for the course. I'm not keen on riding in strong winds, though the weight of the Harley becomes a plus. My weather app kept promising 3 days of windsocks, though our landlady declared it 'just a breeze' as the sea wasn't hitting her windows. As we left she said 'It's shifted to westerly now, that's not what you want' Thanks for that! When we arrived at our hotel in Stornaway, having braved sideways rain and that Westerly, I was ready for a large whiskey, after telling us that it was too early to serve alcohol, the barman gave us a free one anyway!

Back in Ulapool I rode off the ferry and nearly fell off, I knew straight away I had a rear puncture! The AA washed their hands of us, after nearly 40 years a member and 430 miles from home, (I knew I'd forgotten something, it was to re-tax my bike!) but when we went for a walk into town on the beach, the only person we met, Craig, had a mate with a bike shop, and gave us his number. Malcolm, a proper biker from BRC in Muir of Ord, which was on our way back to Inverness. He borrowed a van and came and picked us up, unexpectedly he had a 500x16 inner tube for an HD (offset valve), his wife took us to a cafe while he fixed the flat. He said he has plenty of work, but gets a kick out of saving bikers' holidays - hundereds come each year to do the North Coast 500, some not so well prepared. The nail he gave me was very old and rusty, the wife wondered if I should get the bike a tetanus shot.

A bunch of views, in no particular order.







Sheep take over a croft - the history of the highland clearances is awful, crofters were treated as mere slaves by landowners who bought Islands as playthings. On Uist the new owner, Lord Gordon, demanded all the tenants come to a mandatory meeting in Lochboisdale, from where they were bundled onto a ship to Newfoundland, Canada! When they got there there was nothing, they just had the clothes they stood up in.

Eriskey, where the SS Politician ran aground with 20,000 cases of best malt whiskey, inspiring the film Whiskey Galore.

Barra Airport, the world's only tidal airport with a daily service to Glasgow.

View from a petrol station (rare) on Harris.



Malc's bike shop, where we got rescued.





9
CB500/550 / Re: Best way to mend broken stator wire?
« on: June 27, 2022, 05:06:27 PM »
When I had to solder a new loom to my Z1 alternator, Ashimoto was able (and kind enough) to  provide me with little OEM solder coated springs which went over the tinned ends of the alternator and loom wires, then heated to melt the solder. There was more to it than that, ie which solder (lead based), plus heat shrink over the joints, but the final job was neat and hopefully permanent.

I used a cable tie to secure the wires, then everything got soaked in epoxy to keep it all rigid and insulated.


10
CB500/550 / Re: USA scrap yards
« on: June 24, 2022, 12:02:42 AM »
Regarding Laverdas, an old friend once bought an ex George Fogarty (Carl’s dad) 500cc F2 TT bike, in Castrol colours, from Sports Motorcycles. I went with him in a van to get it, and helped him bump start in his works yard. It had chipped cams ,we didn’t have a clue how to get new ones, and he sold it on. He now has an ex Mert Lawill Harley XR750 flat tracker which I’ve also helped start and also covet, so some things never change.



11
CB500/550 / Re: USA scrap yards
« on: June 23, 2022, 01:07:09 PM »
I built that Tamiya kit back in the 70's when I was a student (it beat actually studying). I may even have its remains in the attic somewhere.

Also up there is an unbuilt Tamiya 1/12 scale Honda RA272 F1 car. Apparently Honda wouldn't provide drawings, so they descended on the car at an airport with tape measures and cameras. Released in the 70's it was a rarity when I bought it a few years ago on eBay, the box photo below is from one on sale for £225! Not to be confused with the 1/20 scale version they released later, I never got round to starting it mainly because I was intimidated by such challenges as measuring, cutting and fixing the 12 fuel lines and 12 plug leads, for a start.



I should either build it, or flog it before it gets chucked away as worthless junk after my demise.

12
Member 4 Sales / Re: Kawasaki Z1-A For Sale
« on: June 22, 2022, 05:36:34 PM »
You can get a very nice CB750 for that price  ;D ;D ;D

Or still have nowhere near enough money for one of these.....


13
Member 4 Sales / Kawasaki Z1-A For Sale
« on: June 22, 2022, 01:23:08 PM »
A new project beckons, for the necessary cash and garage space the Z1-A is going to reluctantly have to go, to be honest these days I enjoy restoring bikes for the sake of it - I have 3 but can only ride one at a time.

Ideally I want to put it on the market after Crich (where you can see it) but if it gets sold before on here so be it. The price here is £17k, when it gets advertised it will be more like £18k or nearest offer, I'm not in a rush. PM me if you're interested. There is a build thread in the forum, detailing everything I've done, but here's my advert text and a few pics.

KAWASAKI 900cc Z1-A, BUILT MARCH 1974, TOTAL REBUILD FINISHED 2021







US spec model Z1-A , imported into the UK 1995, completely rebuilt. Candy green, with (expensive) optional twin disc and steering damper.
Frame and bodywork professionally painted by Spraypoint to a very high standard. Alloy parts were all professionally polished, chrome parts are new or replated. New replica 4 into 4 exhaust system from Delkevic.

Wheels rebuilt (by Hagon) with new rims, spokes and bearings. Converted to modern ‘O Ring’ chain, using correct new sprockets, spacers and engine plate mods as per Kawasaki service bulletin. If the asking price is met, I will include the original (very rare) chain oil pump, tank and bracket, I would have fitted them but was too much of a coward to drill the necessary hole (for the dipstick) in the already painted side panel.

Engine and carbs (correct 28mm) completely rebuilt, bored to first oversize with new OEM pistons and rings. Carbs have all new jets etc and genuine KHI float valves (£180!). Uprated camchain. Bike has done 500 running in miles only post rebuild, then given a full service including timing and valve clearance checks. Starts instantly on the button, looks and runs like a new bike.

Almost all of the electrics are brand new, including looms, switchgear, voltage regulator and points plate assembly. I will include the original Stanley sealed beam headlamp, but it is for the US market (dips the wrong way), for safety I have fitted a modern Lucas halogen unit.
All correct OEM Stanley reflectors, indicator and rear lenses, rear light has correct date code.

The bike has been to one bike show (2021 BMPS Ashton U Lyne branch), where it won the Best Bike Trophy, so I have retired it with a 100% record! For the purist, the front discs have been drilled, and the speedo is from a Z1-B (even MPH numbers as well as odd) but is the correct OEM ND speedo, not a replica, also the ND rev counter has the correct (working) stop light. I have fitted a Pingel fuel tap as it gives a much better fuel flow than the new PKM replica one which I can include. All three (new) locks work on one key. I have a spare Takasago front wheel which has the correct date code of 3/74 as per the swinging arm etc, which will be included at the asking price.

14
Other Bikes / Re: My 2 non Hondas
« on: June 04, 2022, 11:53:31 PM »
Well we’re in Dumbarton, ??? and the weather is glorious!
We had a couple of pints sat in the sun at the Counting House, then a Staroprama at the ‘Spoons. The bus driver coming back was a bit unsure of where we were trying to get to, but let us ride for free, great as my bus pass doesn’t work in Scotland. Petrol prices are horrific but at least the Sportster does 50mpg.

We have realised that the dark skies in the Hebrides will be a bit of a washout because this far North it doesn’t get that dark in June, when we went to Iceland in the summer we never saw it go dark, people were wearing sunglasses at Midnight!  8)

The bike is behaving itself, tomorrow morning we’re off to Oban for the ferry to Barra. No pictures till we get back, I can’t host then until I get back to my PC.

15
Other Bikes / Re: My 2 non Hondas
« on: June 02, 2022, 05:22:21 PM »
Not this time TD, we went over your side when we did the NC500. We're going up to Oban, then its a 4 hour ferry out to the most southerly part of the Hebrides and then we work our way North. Coming back to Ulapool from Stornaway, then back south again.

I didn't know about the Davidson heritage, when we went to do the NC500 we found Aviemore was full of HDs, the Thunder in the Glen rally. Nowhere to stay so we pushed on but it did look fun.

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